Beginner needs help with additives for 55 gal. fish and reef tank.

[joeydecker]

I have had my tank for about a year now and there are so many products I have gone through looking for the ideal recipe's for diet and water quality. My fish are doing well but I am having difficulty with my corals and soforth. Additionally, there is so much conflicting info on maintaining the water column. I am looking for a good all around diet for filter feeders and best additives for maintaining water quality in a reef system. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

[FoMoCo Master Tech]

Hey Joey! Welcome to Reefland! Maintaining proportion/ balanced water chemistry is very important ( as you already know). Generally, no supplement should be added unless measured by a good test kit. Do you test for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, Ph, calcium, Alkalinity, magnesium and phosphate? All of those perameters are important for healthy corals/ tank.
If you can, post the exact measurements of each test for us to see. That way, we could tell you which ones need balancing.
What's your source water and water change schedule?
what equipment are you using for filtration? How much rock do you have and what livestock is in the tank? What corals do you have and what's going on with them? What's your lighting and lighting schedule? A little bit of information goes a long way. Get back to us and we'll see if we can help.